Chapter 12: Barriers, Accommodations, and Outcomes: Supporting a Neurodiverse Student in Japanese Higher Education
Jennifer Yphantides
Abstract
This chapter is a case study of a special needs student enrolled in an inclusion program built into a first-year intensive English language course at a medium-sized private Japanese university in Tokyo. The university is unique in that it has established a vibrant learning support center for students whose staff worked closely with teachers in the English language program. Despite this support, as the case study shows, the student faces many barriers. The barriers to full inclusion included societal stigma and a lack of awareness of developmental disabilities. The chapter concludes with potential ways of overcoming these barriers, including further training for teachers, developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to approach reluctant students to register with the learning support center, and the creation of peer support programs to facilitate greater social and academic inclusion of special needs students.
About the Contributor
Jennifer Yphantides, an Associate Professor at Soka University in Tokyo, has been teaching EFL since 1993. Her career has taken her to Europe, The Middle East, and Asia. She has been teaching at the tertiary level in Japan for more than a decade. She has a Doctor of Education from Northeastern University and her research focuses on diversity and inclusion in language education.
Citation
Yphantides, J. (forthcoming). Barriers, accommodations, and outcomes: Supporting a neurodiverse student in Japanese higher education. In A. Burke, D., Young, & M. L. Cook (Eds.), Barrier-free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for teachers at all levels of schooling. Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/30/12
This chapter is a case study of a special needs student enrolled in an inclusion program built into a first-year intensive English language course at a medium-sized private Japanese university in Tokyo. The university is unique in that it has established a vibrant learning support center for students whose staff worked closely with teachers in the English language program. Despite this support, as the case study shows, the student faces many barriers. The barriers to full inclusion included societal stigma and a lack of awareness of developmental disabilities. The chapter concludes with potential ways of overcoming these barriers, including further training for teachers, developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to approach reluctant students to register with the learning support center, and the creation of peer support programs to facilitate greater social and academic inclusion of special needs students.
About the Contributor
Jennifer Yphantides, an Associate Professor at Soka University in Tokyo, has been teaching EFL since 1993. Her career has taken her to Europe, The Middle East, and Asia. She has been teaching at the tertiary level in Japan for more than a decade. She has a Doctor of Education from Northeastern University and her research focuses on diversity and inclusion in language education.
Citation
Yphantides, J. (forthcoming). Barriers, accommodations, and outcomes: Supporting a neurodiverse student in Japanese higher education. In A. Burke, D., Young, & M. L. Cook (Eds.), Barrier-free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for teachers at all levels of schooling. Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/30/12
Information About the Book
Title: Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling
Editors: Alexandra Burke, Davey Young, and Melodie Lorie Cook
Read more...
Title: Barrier-Free Instruction in Japan: Recommendations for Teachers at all Levels of Schooling
Editors: Alexandra Burke, Davey Young, and Melodie Lorie Cook
Read more...